Smashbox | Full Exposure Waterproof Mascara Review

After doing a little research into purchasing a new mascara, I arrived at the Smashbox section of my local Boots. I have to say I'm pretty impressed with this mid-priced mascara at first I found the consistency to be slightly clumpy if you apply it too heavily on a first application but if you use it sparingly and apply 2 coats it gives incredible results.

Boy, is this stuff waterproof! I actually had to purchase a different eye make-up remover just to get this stuff off!

If you're in the market for an all singing all dancing mascara, this should be your first stop.

RRP £19.00 which is a little pricey but personally out of all the cheaper mascaras I've sampled, this one is a favourite of mine and I think it's worth it. Sometimes you do get what you pay for and this certainly lives up to that saying. 

✭✭✭✭✩

Top Tips to Reduce Acne and Improve Complexion

The pictures above are of me documenting my skin last year. They are all quite personal to me as I rarely go out without make-up on and at the point that I took the first picture, my acne was pretty bad and very painful (although definitely not at it's worst).  It was around this time that I went to my doctor who prescribed me some topical antibiotics + zinc which were really great however I had to make sure that I was absolutely doing everything in my power to help the process. Believe me, it wasn't easy and it took a lot of time and effort.

I really struggled throughout my teens and early adolescence with acne and so I thought I would share a few tips with you on how to reduce acne and improve your complexion. I hope you find it useful. I will be the first to admit that acne can really get you down and it can have a negative impact on your life. If you need any advice or just someone to chat to, send me a message! I will always be available to talk to people going through these sorts of issues.

Quick disclaimer: These are just a few of the tips that I found helped me and other people I know. I am not a skin care specialist and don’t hold any medical training.

Okay so here goes:

Don’t touch your face.
Even if your hands are freshly washed you are still causing dirt and excess oil that your skin has worked so hard to try and remove from your pores back into them.

Don’t pick and leave acne alone.
Similar to my previous point, if you are picking at your skin it will prolong healing time, cause more redness, blemishes & cause scarring! (A good tip for both these points is to inform those who you live/work with to stop you if they see you touching your face.)

Keep your hair clean & off your face.
I know this may seem like a no brainer but it is a point that I have to bring up if you’re struggling with acne. Wash your hair regularly, especially if you have a fringe (bangs). The dirt & oils from your hair can cause blockages in your pores meaning a breakout.

Ensure all your make-up is removed.
Nowadays there are so many cosmetics advertised with super-staying powers, we consider this to be a good thing however it can be a nightmare to remove properly. Providing your cleanser is gentle it may be a good idea to cleanse a couple of times to ensure all traces of your make-up is removed before bed. I found that I was having to wash then exfoliate and then wash again before my Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation was removed properly (obviously not good for my skin so I changed foundation.)

Change pillowcases every other night.
This is definitely worth doing if you’re having a lot of trouble with acne. Buy a couple of extra pillow cases so that you can change them as often as is convenient. And with reference to my previous comment, be sure that you never ever ever sleep with your make up on.

Exfoliate.
Exfoliating your skin is a good habit to get into. Either with an exfoliating wash, exfoliating sponge or even a regular face cloth – just don’t scrub too hard!

“You are what you eat!”
Think about your diet. What you eat has a direct link to what your skin is like. Did you know that 80% of your skin’s cells can only be reached through the blood stream- that really speaks for itself.

Drink plenty of water.
Need I say more? Oh okay then… It’s vitally important to keep our skin looking healthy. I recently met a man who I assumed was in his late 20s however he informed me that he was nearing 50! I couldn’t believe it and asked him what his secret was… He simply told me that he drinks lots and lots of water. So drink up people!

Could it be an allergic reaction?
Possibly you may have an allergic reaction to something you are eating or doing. Washing powder, dairy food, fluoride (like the sort in your toothpaste), chemicals & perfumes in cosmetics; these are some of the things that can cause acne based allergic reactions. It’s worth trying a few changes in your lifestyle to see if any of these make a difference.

Visit a professional.
If theres no change and you feel you need some help, don’t be afraid to ask for it. Go and see your doctor/nurse or skin care specialist. They have seen this many times before can discuss other options available to you. A month or so ago I made an appointment to see my nurse because I was getting severe acne and it was really effecting my confidence. Nothing I did made any difference. She was so nice and she gave me a topical lotion to apply which has drastically helped reduce my acne and scarring! So hope is not lost!

Thank you for reading! Leave any comments down below please, I would love to hear your thoughts!

Lush | Herbalism Facial & Body Cleanser

I'm a bit of a late-comer to the Lush scene. The whole Lush rush completely passed me by but I'm here now! Walking into the store for the first time was a little overwhelming. I mean, you just wanna look, smell, touch, try everything. Luckily for me, I was snapped up quickly by a helpful sales assistant who took me through the while process.

Yes To Tomatoes - Daily Balancing Moisturiser

Trying to find a good, cruelty free moisturiser was proving to be difficult until I stumbled upon the 'Yes To' brand in Boots.

I have a total addiction to tomatoes. I eat them like apples, usually one or two a day but I was a little unsure whether I wanted them in my moisturiser. It's an american brand and looking on the website, they had such great reviews I just had to try it for myself.

June Favourite Bloggers

I love checking out all of your blogs, (I'm a social network nutter!) Whenever you leave me a link I always check it out and I try to comment too.

Because it's nice to share, I thought I would show you some of my favourite bloggers for this month!

In no particular order here they are:

Megan does wonderful reviews on beauty, skincare and fashion and occasionally touching upon lifestyle topics too. Her blog is so beautiful and she writes honestly about all the products she reviews. Follow her here.

Eesha is a self confessed beauty addict and blogs everything beauty, fashion and lifestyle. Her friendly blogging style is something I really admire and she currently does a great 'blogging tips' series of posts. Be sure to check out her blog 'Eesha's Glam', it's not one to miss.

Kallie is an amazing blogger. Her blog 'But First, Coffee' really inspires me and I love the fact that she has such a range of different posts on offer. She has loads of supper yummy and healthy recipes along with lifestyle and beauty posts. Keep an eye out for social events too as she sometimes runs blogger swaps too!

Along with a perfect look, Victoria knows how to work the perfect blog. I just can't get enough. Everything she does, she gives 130%! The photography really blows me away and her fashion sense is second to none. I urge you to follow her blog 'In The Frow'. You won't be disappointed.

Origins | Never A Dull Moment Facial Cleanser

Having used up my Origins 'Checks and Balances' facial cleanser (which I am in love with), I was in two minds whether or not to just re-purchase it or whether to try something new. I was eager to try another one of Origins increasingly popular products so I decided to go with it. Besides it was something else I could review for you, my glam readers. *wink*

Old Camera Film Photos

When I moved out, it gave me a great opportunity to go through all of my old stuff. I got rid of bags and bags of useless crap that I never even looked at but one thing that really caught my attention was an old film camera that I remember from when I was younger. Inside was an old 110 film. I decided to get it developed and see what was on it.

The first issue being - where on earth do you go to even develops film nowadays? A few years ago there were tons of small shops around where you could wait for an hour or so and then go back to collect your photos later once you'd had a mooch around the shops nearby… I remember that David, being the photographer of our relationship, mentioned something about online processing so I checked it out.

Gosh! How blooming expensive! On most sites, it was £6 just to get the film developed (without any actual pictures to show for it) and £10 for a photo CD. Crazy.

Anyway, I went with The Photo Hippo and here are the results.

(Turns out that because the film was SO old it had started to degrade so most of the pics are really grainy.)

Quick Tutorial | Smokey Eye Green Mist

This is a super simple everyday make up look that you can do in about 10 mins.

For this look I have used Bourjois Smokey Eyes Trio Eyeshadow 08 Vert Trendy alongside a pale yellow/gold eyeshadow from the Fearne Cotton eyeshadow palette and finished off with L’Oreal Paris Mega Volume Miss Manga in purple.

1. Apply the usual foundation and follow up by using an eyeshadow primer or if you don't have any to hand you can use a bit of concealer.
2. Starting from the middle of the eyelid, apply the mid tone green and sweep out to the side using a soft brush.
3. Add the darker green to the very outer edge of the eye and using the same brush (or your fingers) blend inwards and outwards in a see-saw shape.
4. Using the lightest shade of the trio, apply this liberally all over the inner part of the lid blending outwards and upwards. Once all is blended you shouldn’t be able to differentiate between where the light, mid and dark tones start and end. It should be a gradual colour.
5. Apply a pale gold/yellow shade on the very inner of the eye and blend lightly.
6. To finish, get a Q-Tip and tip it in a little water then dab the end of the Q-Tip in the darkest of the trio shades and lightly dab onto the eyelid in three dots reaching out and up in a flick. (If these don’t show up very well you can go over them with a dab of eyeliner followed by a light blending in with the Q-Tip.)
7. Complete the look with some mascara and don’t forget the brows!

-Team with bold lips for a sophisticated evening look.

Helpful Tip: This look can be done with any colour, I just chose this colour for my model because of her beautiful eye colour. If you need to achieve a darker shade add a drop of water to your eyeshadow/finger/applicator. This will bring out the pigment and give you a brighter colour.

Special thanks to my model Samantha.

'Your Tea' Tiny Teatox 28 Day Full Review

I first saw about 'Teatox' on Instagram and then on Twitter and it's suddenly become a big hype surrounding the blogging community. I thought the concept was pretty standard (I know of a variety of people using herbal remedies and herbal teas to help soothe minor complaints) however this was intriguing. These teatox companies were pushing out of their alternative quiet zone and using social media and bloggers as a way of promoting their product to their target audience.

Because 'Your Tea' was the first 'Teatox' I came across, I decided to look at their website and their claims were quite astounding...

This cleanse will assist with reducing weight, easing bloating, increasing digestion functionality, improving skin clarity, increasing energy levels and alleviate issues associated with food intolerances.

Wow! Definitely some big claims there. All the reviews, insta-pics and tweets seemed to be showing that this was indeed a pretty remarkable tea so eventually I caved to peer pressure and bought myself a 28 day Tiny Tea Teatox box. The prices were so expensive and I would never normally spend so much on a hot beverage however I managed to obtain a 20% off code which was a little better. I'm guessing that a lot of you reading this will already know a little bit about the tea so I won't bore you with too many details. The idea is that you drink 3 cups a day. Either 30 mins before each meal or 1 hour afterwards. Also it's important to say that they recommend you don't drink it after about 6pm and that you always consume them warm/hot. Anyway the website is pretty detailed so please check it out thoroughly before ordering. www.yourtea.com

I will be reviewing the teatox each day so please follow so you don't miss any updates.

Wedding Planning | Venue Hunting

Deciding where you want your ceremony/wedding breakfast/evening reception is extremely important and it can quickly become quite stressful. I work as a wedding registrar and from my experience I know there are a few key things you need to consider when you are visiting your perspective venues...

What type of ceremony is best for you?
If you are getting hitched in the UK there are lots of different options open to you.
Firstly, you have the choice between a religious ceremony (held at a place of worship) or a civil ceremony that can either take place at a register office or an approved venue, (such as a licensed hotel for example).
If you had set your heart on an outdoors ceremony, (pray for good british weather!) there is such a thing as a DUO ceremony which basically means that the legal elements of the ceremony would be carried out in a licensed room followed (or proceeded) by a ceremony outside. For more info on DUO ceremonies you would need to discuss it with the registration office that is in the area of your ceremony as not all of them are able to do these types.

Is it going to take place in the area/county where you live? The area where your family live? Abroad?
Think about logistics here, is it a reasonable and 'do-able' distance for you both and your guests to travel to your chosen area/county?
If you have decided on a wedding ceremony abroad then you will need to contact the country's authority/government dept to find out what information and paperwork you will need, how early this paperwork/documents needs to be with them and also how long this paperwork will be valid for. (Some countries ask you to present them with a 'Certificate of Non-Impediment' which is something you would then need to speak to your local registration office about getting.)

Key things to think about:

• Location vs. Travel costs: Remember that if you are travelling a long distance it will cost you more in travel expenses. Especially if you are hiring cars/transport.
• Disabled access: Do you have any elderly or disabled guests attending? When looking around venues check for disabled access and parking
• Parking: Speaking of parking, is there any parking? A lot of inner-city locations may only have 'pay and display' or multi-story car parking which can leave guests with a large bill if they are there all day.
• Accommodation: At the end of your day, are you going to be staying in your venue? A nearby hotel? Do they offer a discount for the wedding party rooms?
• Venue vs. Photography: Is it a place that you can have nice photos taken indoors if the weather turns sour?

Whats included? (Some ideas of what to ask…)

• Do you get drinks upon arrival? - Is there a bar?
• Are seat covers included or do you have to pay per seat?
• Is there a min/max number of guests for the room?
• Can you have the ceremony/wedding breakfast/evening reception all in the same room?
• Do you get special rates for wedding guest bedroom bookings?
• Do you have good choices in the menu and is there an evening buffet?
• Do you have to use their own in house DJ/caterer/florist? Beware! Some venues charge extra if you wish to use your own people.

Our Ceremony
David and I sat down one evening and discussed exactly what we wanted for our wedding ceremony. Neither of us are religious at all so we were both in agreement to have a civil ceremony. We are both very family orientated people and both bought up in the same town in Norfolk so we figured it would make sense for us to have our ceremony where we have always lived. We also wanted it at a location that is easy to get to with parking and accommodation. Therefore after looking around several different venues we decided to have our whole day at a large hotel/manor. Our venue has a huge car park and can offer us a discount on 20 rooms for our wedding party - which was important for us.

Remember!
Haggle! The prices the venues set are not set in stone. If you want something thrown in to the plan then ask. Or if you feel uncomfortable asking outright then mention your budget and ask of anything can be done/swapped/exchanged.
The worst they will do is say no. What have you got to lose?

It's your wedding! So DON'T let people bully you into changing your plans or doing something you don't want to do. However, DO keep an open mind and don't get annoyed or upset if somebody suggests an idea or highlights a problem.
Nobody likes a bride/groom-zilla after all!

I would love to hear your experiences of venue hunting, please comment below and us your story.

Home Decor | Our Red & White Kitchen

David & I recently moved into our first home together. April 1st was part one of 'The Big Move'. We loaded up our cars full of kitchen utensils, appliances and cleaning products and made our way to our new house.

This was our kitchen the day we moved in. You can see in the picture, we have white shiny cupboards, a modern 'zebra' worktop and there are spaces for our dishwasher, washing machine & dryer. Everything looks so lovely & clean which I love cos I'm a total anti-bacterial freak!

A new guest in our kitchen. Meet our Voodoo knife block. Unfortunately you can no longer buy these from the firebox website however you can get them at various other online retailers, the cheapest currently being worldstores.co.uk for £57.99.

Our plates, as pictured above, are from the designer 'Ben de Lisi' purchased from Debenhams. However, from my extensive internet searches it seems that they are unavailable to purchase in red (which is a shame because I would love to get my hands on a couple more bowls). You can get white ones though if you are interested in the style.

The Cook's Collection Trays are a Sainsbury's miracle. I love them. They are such a brilliant quality and really heavy too; prices range from £7-£15 per item which may seem a little pricey but as soon as you pick one up you'll know it's worth it. Just by reading through the reviews, it becomes apparent that they're really good! The same goes for our copper bottom pans also Sainsbury's. Pricey but an investment!

This De'Longhi microwave (900w) was a present bought for us by our family. Purchased from Argos for £79.99, it's a great addition to our red themed kitchen. It makes me so happy whenever I look at it and it even has a pre-set program especially for popcorn - it knows me so well!

Our luck didn't just stop there, we also received a Kenwood KMix Food Processer in Red. (FPX931) £159.99. It has a 3 litre capacity and all the trimmings. The reviews are really good and I can't wait to use it!

One wonderful present that works perfectly in our red and white kitchen was given to us by our previous neighbours. This red 'love' ceramic jug, (£14 from Next) is so beautifully made! It looks like its been handmade and its actually really heavy. It's such great quality! A must have for any red decor enthusiast.

Get yours here.

The final thing to show you is our super buy mugs! They are a pretty good match to our plates and dishes but a fraction of the price. A set of 4 mugs will set you back only £4.49 from Argos. Get yours here.

Thanks for stopping by, have you bought any beautiful colour items for your kitchen? If so, let me know! I'd love to see what your kitchen is like.

Lookbook | Summer Chic

The good weather at the weekend has really put me in the summer mood! I literally cannot wait until the weather turns and we can all brush the dust off our pretty summer dresses.

It got me thinking about what looks I am wanting to try out in the upcoming season. The look I'm going for is a simple yet dainty look. A kind of 'I put the effort in but not trying too hard' kind of look. I picture this look with natural make up and wavy hair.

Wrap Dress in Midi Length £45.00 from ASOS
Oliver Bonas Gold Palhoca Earrings £14.00 from Oliver Bonas
Dolcis Floral Platform Court Shoes £17.50 from Very
Sweet Deluxe Bracelet (2 Pack) £25 from Zalando
Embers Gold Blue Topaz Necklace £28 from Benna

I always try to keep the looks I create very affordable and not too pricey. A designer look really isn't hard to achieve if you have the internet at your fingertips and it definitely doesn't have to cost a bomb! If you have any fashion outfit looks for £150 or less I'd love to see them, leave your links in a comment below.

Thanks for stopping by!

My Doc Martens | Vegan Collection

I have been looking around for some new autumn/winter boots but I wasn't sure what to go for. I needed something that was reasonably waterproof, warm and stylish. Also because I occasionally go to rock & metal concerts I needed something secure and hardwearing. What better than the old classics, Dr Martens.

Now, I'm not a vegan but I am a strict vegetarian. I don't like the thought of buying leather items such as boots when I can buy something similar with no animal suffering involved. I was looking at Dr Martens because I like the style but it wasn't until I was browsing their website that I found out they do a vegan collection. They have the usual colours available (purple, black, pink, and burgundy) unfortunately when I went into the shop they only had black, burgundy and pink to look at. After trying on some black boots in a size 8 and a 6 I eventually bought size 7 (and some insoles because they were slightly too big). I was a little confused with the sizing initially because when I previously purchased Dr Martens, a size 7 was too small. Strange, but I suppose they are a different collection and material. I would definitely recommend trying them on before buying them if you have a local store.

Aren't they beautiful?! They cost £120 and just to make them a little bit more feminine I added pink laces for an extra £2.00, lovely! I have no qualms in spending the money on these because they really do last years. Anyway, most winter boots are a similar price.

They look so much like leather, If they didn't have the label on and 'suitable for vegans' written on the inside then I would be worried they were actually leather.
Anyway, thanks for reading. I just wanted to share with you my newest purchase and also tell you about their vegan collection because I don't think that it's been widely publicised.

Please share this post to spread the word, the more people that buy vegan, the more vegan options and collections boot & shoe companies will produce!